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Rs.17.5 m robbery in A'pura : Special CID team on trail of main suspect

by Sarath Malalasekera

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigating the Rs.17.5 million alleged robbery at the Anuradhapura People's Bank on Tuesday deployed a special team to arrest one of the main suspects. The CID said that he is evading arrest.

Investigations revealed that the welders, now in custody, had unsuccessfully attempted to break open the vault from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on February 2, 2002, during a long week-end. Immediately after the robbery two suspects including the Bank security officer had entered a private nursing home in Colombo for bypass surgery.

The CID team who recovered the cash and the other items used in the robbery displayed them to the media at the CID office yesterday.

Several hand phones, two gas cylinders and a compressor were among the items recovered by the CID.

Earlier the CID arrested seven suspects including security personnel of the bank and recovered Rs.10 million of the stolen money.

Investigations directed by the acting DIG, CID revealed that the main suspect in the robbery had left the country, the CID officers said.

The suspects now in custody had entered the bank and opened the safe with the assistance of two welders residing in the Anuradhapura Police area. The CID took the welders also into custody. The special CID team recovered Rs. 10 million which was stolen from the bank from the possession of the suspects. Some of the money was unearthed near a residence of a suspect.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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